Curing the Incurable
by Lunamione Lovegranger
Summary: Hermione's grandfather has Alzheimer's, inspiring her to find the cure. She enlists the help of none other than Severus Snape and well... things happen along the way. Freinds are lost and gained back , and love is found.
1. Chapter 1

Dear Professor Snape,

I am sure you were not expecting to hear from a former student only two days after she graduated and can only hope that this does not bother you too much (I would try for not bothering you at all, but then I couldn't send this letter).In any case, I amsending you this letter and I hope you will respond.

I write to ask for your assistance with a project I know is beyond my current solo ability, not to mention my limited experience. I am looking into a cure for Alzheimer's, expanding on the current Muggle medicines which only slow, and do not heal, the effects. I know you are probably busy with teaching so any assistance you could give me would definitely be appreciated.

Once again, I hope I haven't irritated you too much, as I know your nerves are quite short, and I ask you to consider my request.

Sincerely,

_Hermione Granger_

Dear Miss Granger,

Cheeky girl. If you were still in school…

You are correct, I did not expect to hear from a former student so soon, or at all if you can believe it. However, this did not irritate me as you seemed to think it would (I wonder what might have given you such an idea). Actually, I feel I should apologize for that. I know I was horrible those years I led a double life and it was because of my role as a spy that I had to act like a believable Death Eater, with ridiculous predjudices and a nasty temper. Not that this is any excuse. I truly am sorry though, as I know it was hard to enjoy my class like you did your others, not to mention it made it that much easier to believe I truly was a Death Eater and that much harder to believe I wasn't.

Sorry, that took up a lot of space.

In answer to your question, I would be thrilled to work with you. It sounds like an excellent project and a challenging one, the best kind. If you don't mind my asking, how did you get started on the topic of Alzheimer's?

I am not busy teaching at the moment since it is the summer holidays (that hasn't changed in the four days you've been gone), but I am not currently in London. I am in Versailles-I only wish it were on vacation. If you would like to get started immediately, as it seems you do, I would be happy to look over any notes you could send me and give you some suggestions. It is not ideal, but until I return I'm afraid it is the best I can do for you.

My sincere apologies,

_Severus Snape_

Dear Professor Snape,

… "5 points from Gryffindor." I know. Or would it be 10 points? I must admit, I always particularly enjoyed your sarcasm, although my classmates obviously appreciate your humor like me.

You really don't have to apologize. Everything you did was necessary and if no one else has realized this then they truly are the bunch of dunderheads you always said they were.

I've attached my oh-so-extensive notes for you and am eagerly awaiting your comments. So far I have only researched the symptoms and current treatments. Already I can see how hard this will be; there is so much that needs to be restored, healed, or regrown.

I got started on this when my grandfather was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. And before you say anything, I know I can't heal him in time.

Now for a question of my own: What on earth are you doing in Versailles that isn't vacationing?

Thank you for agreeing to work with me.

Forever grateful,

_Hermione Granger_

Dear Miss Granger,

Was I really that soft on you? It most definitely would have been 10 points. Now however, it would probably only be 5 points. I've been able to relax a bit. I am glad, though, that _someone _in that class understood sarcasm. I had thought that people would start understanding within the first year or so. Obviously not.

I most certainly do have to apologize. The things I did were unacceptable. There may have been reasons behind the things I did, but they were still terrible.

Your notes were, as usual, wonderfully meticulous. You may not think they are extensive, but for what you have researched they actually are. I've taken the liberty of annotating the margins of your notes and hope you don't mind. There are a few treatments that I think we can disregard completely, though perhaps we should keep their basic theories in mind.

I would not have said anything at all about your grandfather. You are clever enough to figure that out yourself; it's not necessary for me to say anything to you. Besides, I know just how hard of an ordeal it is to go through. My grandmother had Alzheimer's.

I am working here in Versailles at a hospital owned by my best friend from school. He is a half-blood like myself and uses his connections in both worlds to provide a (hidden) mix of Muggle and Wizarding medicines. During the summers, I usually brew potions for him on location.

What about yourself? What do you typically do during the summers?

Sincerely,

_Severus Snape_

P.S. You do realize that since you are no longer my student, it is not necessary for you to call me 'Professor' anymore, don't you? 'Severus' is fine.

Dear Severus,

You call that soft? That's what I would call normal. But I suppose everyone has their own definition of what's 'normal'.

Of course my classmates wouldn't start understanding the humor in sarcasm. After all they are, as you say, a "big bunch of dunderheads".

Your insistent apologizing is really starting to annoy me. You do not have anything to apologize for. Because of what you did for the Order, so many people were saved that you have obviously done more good than bad. Everyone, including myself, did terrible things during the war, but you did exceptionally great things. Stop beating yourself up about the bad things, focus on the good, and realize that, in all actuality, you are a hero.

Thank you for your annotations. I've attached a revised version of my notes with a few more ideas that I got from reading yours and a couple materials we may be able to use in our experiments. (By the way, thank you for the compliment on my note taking).

I think what you are doing in Versailles sounds absolutely wonderful as does this friend of yours. I had never heard of such a hospital before.

When I started school, I began to go to the Weasley's at some point during the summer, but at any other time I would be at my grandmother's with the rest of my family. None of us live very close to each other so we all meet at my grandmother's and spend the summer there. I have been going there for summer since the year I was born and that is where I am right now.

What did you do before you began working in Versailles?

Sincerely,

_Hermione Granger_

P.S. You do realize that since you are no longer my professor, it is not necessary to call me 'Miss Granger' any more, don't you? 'Hermione' is fine.

Dear Hermione,

That is correct, everyone does have their own definition of 'normal'. And, previously, mine was 10 points. So 5 points is being soft.

I'm glad I am not the only person to realize how mediocre your classmates really were. Although perhaps they seemed exceptionally mediocre because you were so exceptionally brilliant and always surpassed them in class.

For once, you are actually wrong. I am no hero. Others may have done some bad things, but I did many exceedingly horrible things. However, I believe we are going to have to agree to disagree on this subject. So sorry for annoying you.

I truly enjoy reading your notes. You have a lot of wonderful ideas and I hadn't thought of half of the more unorthodox herbs you presented as possible materials, though all have great potential. (Oh no, there I go handing out compliments for free again.)

I believe my friend Garrett's is the only hospital of its kind. You should meet him at some point, the two of you have some similar ideas about mixing Muggle and Wizarding medicines (and, like you, he knows absolutely everything).

Before working with Garrett in Versailles, I used to spend most of the summer with my aunt and three cousins Sandrine, Jack, and James. And when I was little, any time I wasn't with them I was either playing with Lily, who used to live a couple streets away, or working on my grandfather's vegetable farm.

It sounds like everyone in your family is very close despite not living near each other. What is your family like?

Yours sincerely,

_Severus Snape_

P.S. As you wish.

Dear Severus,

I wonder if your new definition of normal includes taking points from the Slytherins…

I do believe you just complimented me on my "brilliance". Twice. You certainly have changed quite a bit.

"Agree to disagree"? I think not. You need to realize that you are not a bad person. You may have done some bad things, but that does not make you an inherently bad person. Everything you did was necessary so that we could win the war. Besides, you more than made up for all of it with the good things you did for the Order and the countless lives you saved. And I highly doubt you really are sorry for annoying me.

I am glad you liked my unorthodox methods; I had been a little worried about them. I think I got those ideas from spending time in my grandmother's herb garden. I took some more notes on the magical properties of the different herbs I mentioned in the last batch of notes.

I'm not sure if I have just been insulted by you or if you were just joking by saying that Garrett and I both know everything. Considering the fact that he is your friend, it is probably a joke-another thing that's new from you.

I have a very large family. My mom's mother had 10 kids: 5 boys, 5 girls. We have all done so much together that we are indeed very close; my best friend has always been my cousin Isabel. Everyone is exceptionally fun-loving and welcoming and because of this, our 'family' has grown to include various close friends, neighbors, and even the occasional ex-boyfriend. We've got a few eccentrics, but everyone is accepted (and being the only witch, I suppose I am one of said eccentrics).

Yours truly,

_Hermione Granger_

Dear Hermione,

Certainly I take points from the Slytherins; just not as many as from the Gryffindors.

Did I really compliment you twice? Well, there goes the very last remnant of my cover. I'm not as mean as you thought, huh? (Shh, don't tell the students…)

You are correct in two things you said, but only two. I am not an inherently bad person and I truly am not sorry for irritating you. However, don't get too excited. I never did say I thought I was inherently bad. I am certainly not completely opposed to using Dark Magic, though. Quite honestly, the only things I really feel remorse are the numerous innocent people I have been forced to torture or, in more extreme cases, kill. But only for the innocent do I feel remorse, no one else. And believe me, there have been many others that were not innocent and I feel no guilt for any of their pain or deaths. So I really am not as good as you think.

Many of these herbs, and their physical/chemical properties I know from my own grandmother's herb garden that she kept within my grandfather's farm. I never quite researched them to the extent you have, though, and did not know many of the more unorthodox herbs' magical properties, since my Muggle grandmother certainly didn't know them. I am glad you did research them to such an extent since obviously no one else has thought of doing such a thing. I have added a few things to your notes that my own research has turned up.

Speaking of continued research, I am back in London and I believe we should meet to work on this in person. I have a full lab in the basement of my house on Spinner's End that we can use to do testing. Let me know if this is okay and when would be a good time for you. I, naturally, am free at any time of the week.

Sincerely,

_Severus Snape_

P.S. Of course I was joking about both you and Garrett knowing everything. I would never insult my best friend behind his back.

Dear Severus,

I refer to what I have already said: I do enjoy sarcasm. And I most definitely get a lot of it from you.

Thank you for saying I am correct (but only on two things). I am not giving up that easily. Or, at all. Luckily I will be seeing you soon, so that won't be an issue.

I will be at your house on Friday morning.

See you then,

_Hermione Granger_

P.S. I noticed you didn't mention not insulting me. Thanks ever so much.


	2. Chapter 2

Wow. It's amazing how long such a short chapter can take to write. Sorry.

By the way, in case you were wondering, I am not J.K. Rowling. She's a much better writer than me.

* * *

Flashback

As she sent off the last owl, Hermione took a deep breath. She almost couldn't believe that she was about to see Severus Snape, of all people. Outside of school. Watching her owl fly off towards the man in question, Hermione allowed herself to think of the aftermath of the war.

During the final battle, as Harry walked into the forest to meet Lord Voldemort, Hermione had run back to the Shrieking Shack. Slowly, she walked up the stairs to where Severus Snape had been left lying on the floor. As she knelt next to the man she had always defended to Harry and Ron, inexplicably knowing that he was on the side of the Order, she noticed his thin chest move slightly. Quickly, she moved him to the Hospital Wing, hoping that Madam Pomfrey could work her usual wonders. While she realized Madam Pomfrey would be upset about being asked to heal Severus Snape, Hermione knew that her intrinsic urge to heal would win out.

Once she finally composed herself from the shock Hermione had caused her as she brought in the barely living Snape, Madam Pomfrey looked over the bites and looked at Hermione with sorrow in her eyes.

"I can't save him."

Hermione looked ready to interrupt so Madam Pomfrey held up her hand and went on, "However. I can attempt one thing, with your help. It has not been tested, though, it is only a theory."

"He has nothing to lose. If it doesn't work he dies. And if we don't try he dies."

Madam Pomfrey quickly explained the process to Hermione, reinstating the fact that it wasn't tested and therefore any and all side effects were unknown. Once Madam Pomfrey was certain Hermione understood exactly what to do, both witches raised their wands in tandem. As they worked, they watched in awe as the wounds in Snape's neck healed; the muscles re-knitted, the blood flowed back into his veins, the poison flowed out, and the skin closed up over everything.

When they finished, both Hermione and Madam Pomfrey were exhausted, much more than they expected. Madam Pomfrey ran some diagnostic charms, discovering the major side effect of the spell: Instead of being his original 37 years old, Severus Snape was now 27 years old. The amount of energy flowing into him from Hermione and Madam Pomfrey seemed to have erased 10 years off of his age.

Weeks later, Hermione sat at the trial of Severus Snape and watched as Harry testified that Snape was working as a spy for the Order and that Albus Dumbledore's death had been preplanned between Dumbledore and Snape. She watched as the jury was split exactly in half, forcing the new minister of magic, Kingsley Shacklebolt, to make the final decision. She watched as he considered his decision, then stood up and ruled that Snape was not to be sent to Azkaban, but would be placed on a year's probation. And she watched as the blank face of Severus Snape filled with shock at the ruling.

That year after the war was spent rebuilding Hogwarts and the Ministry, putting many people on trial, and rebuilding trust; trust in Ministry officials, trust in the Ministry itself, and trust in Hogwarts teachers. School was postponed for the year while the school was restored and new teachers were found.

After the year of reconstruction, students were urged to retake their last year. During this true final year at Hogwarts, Harry and Ginny got even closer, Neville and Luna finally got together, Draco came out, and Ron and Hermione had a shaky but long-lasting relationship. However, in the last month before graduation, they broke up for various reasons, the main one being that Ron had cheated on Hermione with Lavender. They had been growing apart throughout the entire year, but this was the last straw for Hermione. The two hadn't spoken since.

As soon as graduation ended, Hermione sent off her first letter to Professor Snape. Now, she was finally going to meet with him and work with him in person.

Hermione had to admit, the thought was a bit intimidating.


	3. Chapter 3

I have been instructed by Severus Snape to tell you that if you haven't figured out that I am not J.K. Rowling, then you are a dunderhead.

First Meeting

Hermione woke early Friday morning not having slept well, ate a quick breakfast in the kitchen of her apartment, and Apparated to the end of Snape's street. As she walked down his street, she began to have second thoughts in her nervousness.

_What if he isn't at all nicer like I thought from his letters?…What am I doing here? He's never going to want to see me, the 'insufferable know-it-all'…_

After what felt like ages, Hermione reached his house. She took a deep breath at the edge of his yard and expelled all second thoughts from her head, then marched up and knocked on his door. After a couple of seconds, the door opened to a still sleepy, and somewhat confused, Severus Snape.

"Ah…Miss Gran-sorry…Hermione. I should have known you would be early.

"Come in. Would you like some coffee? I was just making some."

He led her into the house and through a living room with tall bookshelves on two of the walls to the kitchen. Everything in the kitchen, while not exactly new, was perfectly clean and well kept. The countertops were grey granite, the walls tiled in a light mocha. Snape motioned for Hermione to sit at the small table in the middle of the room. Hermione was surprised to see that Snape (_Severus_, she reminded herself) did not use any magic to make the coffee. As he set a mug of coffee down in front of her, Severus seemed to notice her surprise. One side of his mouth moved to form a crooked smile as he explained, "I prefer to do most tasks by hand, rather than depend on magic to do them for me."

While they drank their coffee, Severus described the process he thought they could start with to test different existing medications and then experiment with the various magical ingredients they had previously discussed in their letters. As Hermione listened, she found his business-like tone and velvety voice soothing and dissipating her nerves.

They finished the coffee and Severus led Hermione down to his lab. Hermione let out a faint gasp as she stepped into the lab, causing Severus to glance at her and smile crookedly again (_Yep, definitely a smile_, Hermione thought).

Unlike the kitchen appliances, which were nice while not brand new, everything in the lab was state-of-the-art and absolutely pristine. Hermione even recognized Muggle equipment like burettes and analytical balances, all just as top quality as everything else.

"Are you ready to begin?" Severus asked her, still looking amused.

Hermione blushed faintly and headed to the cauldrons on the far counter in answer.

As the day wore on, both Hermione and Severus grew more relaxed around each other. They began talking about everything in general while they worked, similar in manner to their letters. In between working and talking they lost track of time and didn't check the clock until Severus looked up as they waited for a potion to stew.

"Oh dear, I've kept you working for far too long," he exclaimed. "It's already one o'clock."

Once they got upstairs, Severus got to work making a salad for the two of them. Hermione sat at the table watching him work and admiring the assuredness of his hands as he chopped the vegetables.

_What am I doing? Why on earth would I admire Severus Snape's hands? ...Well, he does have nice hands…slender, but strong and steady…_

Severus set their plates down on the table, shaking Hermione out of her thoughts. He sat down across from her and said, "I keep meaning to ask you. How is your grandfather?"

"He is getting a bit worse. He gets very confused at times," Hermione responded. She went on with a ghost of a laugh, "He tried planting his strawberries a couple of weeks ago. my grandmother had to explain to him a couple times that it wasn't time to plant strawberries, as he should know."

Severus smiled sadly. "My grandmother always did things like that. When she moved into the nursing home, she kept trying to escape and go home. Of course, that home had already been sold. But she wouldn't listen and just continued to set off the alarms."

"I'm sure," Hermione said, "that, looking back, things like this seem kind of funny. Sad, but funny, too."

They ate in silence for a while until Severus asked how Harry and Ron were doing. Hermione was surprised, and a little touched, that he would ask about her friends.

"Harry and Ginny are getting married next month. Ron, well, I'm not entirely sure. I haven't spoken to him since the end of school. But I'm sure he's perfectly happy with Lavender. She won't be upset by being expected to do nothing with her life. She won't make him feel stupid.

"Anyways…you probably don't care about any of that. How was Versailles?"

Severus looked at her as one eyebrow slid up, as if he was slightly shocked she would remember anything about _him_.

"Very good. It was great to see Garrett again. I haven't seen him since…since the Dark Lord came back," he finished in a rush, a faint blush spreading across his cheeks.

Hermione noticed that he still called Voldemort the "Dark Lord" and determined to ask him about that some time in the future. Now, however, they had to get back to work. By the time they had finished, it was late and they were both hungry. Hermione insisted on making dinner since Severus had made coffee and lunch. They set a day and time for their next day of testing and discussed their plans for that day. Hermione left after dinner and Apparated back home where she spent the rest of the evening contemplating her day: what they had accomplished, what they had talked of, and (mostly) her new image of Severus.


	4. Chapter 4

The next day, Hermione was set to go out to lunch with Ginny. They were meeting at their favorite café in Diagon Alley. It was a cozy place, full of comfortable armchairs, mahogany coffee tables, and a large fireplace. Often, Hermione would come here to read in her favorite chair in the corner while enjoying a cup of coffee. Today, however, would not be a day for a quiet cup in the corner. Today was a day for Hermione and Ginny to catch up with each other since they hadn't had a chance to see one another since the end of school two months ago. Hermione was eager to hear about Harry and Ginny's wedding plans; Ginny was equally eager to hear what had happened when Hermione contacted Professor Snape. As soon as Ginny walked in, Hermione was bombarded with questions.

"Hermione! I haven't seen you in ages, how have you been? _Where_ have you been, why haven't you come over? Did you ever send that letter to Professor Snape? What did he say, what happened? Did-"

"Woah, Ginny, slow down! One at a time. I've been great. I've mostly been staying at home (which is a tiny flat in London) working on my notes for the possible Alzheimer's cure. Yes, I did send Professor Snape a letter, he was very willing to help, but he was in Versailles, so we worked via letter for a while and we just met yesterday to work on the potion in person. Did I miss anything?"

"No. But now I have even more questions. What was he like outside Hogwarts? He'd better have been nice."

Hermione laughed at the fierce expression on her friend's face and reassured her, "He was very nice. Still sarcastic as ever, but I wouldn't trust him at all if he wasn't. He made coffee for us in the morning and lunch. I made dinner-"

"Wait. This was at his house? Or yours?"

"His. He has a full lab in his basement."

"And you were there all day?"

"Um…yes? Why?"

"Oh my God! Hermione, you spent an entire day with Severus Snape! And neither of you ended up attacking the other?"

"Ginny, I told you. Severus was perf-"

" 'Severus'? When did that start?"

"Well, he isn't my professor anymore so it doesn't make sense for me to call him 'Professor Snape'."

"…I don't know what to say…"

Just then, Hermione saw Severus himself walk into the café. After getting his coffee, he turned and spotted Hermione. He raised an inquisitive eyebrow and she nodded to him. As he made his way over, Hermione turned to Ginny and told her, "Well, you'd better collect yourself real quick, because he's walking towards us right now."

With wide eyes, Ginny slowly took three deep breaths to calm herself; Hermione had to laugh silently at her friend's obvious panic.

As he sat down, Severus notice Ginny, the back of whose chair had been turned towards him before.

"I hope I'm not interrupting…" Severus said hesitantly.

"No, not at all," Hermione reassured him. She definitely did not want him to leave. _Only because I want Ginny to meet him outside school. That's all. Really._

There was a short pause in the conversation; then Severus turned to Ginny and said, "Hermione told me you're engaged. Congratulations."

Ginny looked at him in utter shock, causing Severus to smirk at her and say, "Oh, I'm sorry. I suppose that's really not something the snarky Potions professor would ever say, is it?"

At that, Ginny found her voice. "No it isn't. But _that_ was."

Severus smiled his crooked smile that Hermione had grown to like so much in their day of testing. He seemed to be holding in a laugh. Hermione didn't even try, she just laughed outright.

"So what brings you here today?" Hermione asked, hoping he wouldn't take offense at the blunt, personal question.

"Garrett's coming into town for the week. He's teaching a seminar at St. Mungo's," Severus replied with an excited half-smile.

"That's amazing. I bet he's pretty excited about that."

"Actually, I think he's more excited about finally being back in England," Severus told her with a small laugh. "The seminar only lasts three days, but he's staying for ten."

Ginny broke in to ask, "Who is Garrett?"

"He's…" Severus started as he looked up towards her, "…right there."

Hermione turned towards where Severus was looking to see a tall man with sandy brown hair enter the café. He spotted Severus and his face broke into a wide grin. As he drew closer, they could see he was good-looking and obviously took precise care in his health, but seemed to not put much thought into what people thought of him. Severus greeted him warmly then introduced him to Hermione and Ginny. As Garrett shook their hands enthusiastically, he told them, "Severus and I have been friends since our first year at Hogwarts."

"Were you both in Slytherin together?" Ginny asked, looking more than a little surprised.

"Yes, we were. Why do you ask?"

"Well…you just don't…seem like a Slytherin, I guess."

Both men turned towards her with an identical anger in their eyes. Ginny's eyes widened and she seemed to shrink back into her chair from the strength of the twin glares.

"Because all Slytherins are rich, stuck-up, nasty pureblood lovers," Severus stated sarcastically.

Ginny blushed and apologized to the men for assuming and slowly both Severus and Garrett calmed down.

"Well. That was quite informative," Hermione remarked. "Rest assured, neither of us will ever make such an assumption again."

Severus and Garrett looked rather embarrassed at their display of anger. They explained that they had both been trying to live down that same stereotype since the moment the Sorting Hat placed them in Slytherin. It had kept many people from listening to them or liking them at all and in some extreme cases, people had completely refused to remain in the room with them. Severus finished saying, "Although I may have had to fit myself into that role, it has always been one of my most hated. The other being the one I had to pretend to like most."

The four spent the rest of the afternoon in pleasant conversation, talking about Garrett's stay, what Versailles was like, and Ginny's wedding. Severus and Garrett left first so that Garrett could move his things into his hotel room from Severus' front lawn ("From where?" "Yeah, I just stuck it all on your front lawn. Check-in's not 'til 6."). Ginny and Hermione were still laughing as the two wizards left the café, bickering as only the best of friends can. As soon as the café door closed, Ginny turned on Hermione and said, "You really like him don't you?"

"Who?"

"Severus. Don't even try to deny it, it's _so _obvious you do."

Hermione paused. "It's really that obvious?" she nearly whispered.

"Yes, it most certainly is, silly," Ginny told her, amused.

Hermione groaned as she sank her head down onto the table.

"What am I going to do?"

Sorry for the massive amounts of dialogue, I hope it didn't get too boring. Let me know what you think.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Unexpected Sympathy

Sunday morning, Hermione went to her grandparents' house. Before her grandfather was diagnosed with Alzheimer's, Hermione had gone to see her grandparents at least once a month. Now, however, she made sure to see them every weekend. Today when she walked into the house she found her grandmother in tears at the kitchen table while her grandfather sulked in the living room. Hermione kept trying to get the full story from her grandmother, but could only get bits and pieces here and there. Eventually she managed to understand how all the parts fit together and understood what had happened. Her cousin Mark had come over to milk his father's cows that were being kept at their grandparents' farm. As he got out of the car and headed for the barn, Grandpa had come out of the house and shouted at Mark, telling him to get off his farm and that he wanted all of the animals off his farm, too. Grandma had tried to calm him down, but he had just turned and started yelling at her.

Hermione walked into the living room and said hello to her grandfather and asked him how he was doing. His only response was, "Get out. I don't want any of you people my farm anymore."

Hermione's eyes filled with tears. She was the only female grandchild on this side of her family and as such had always been her grandpa's favorite. Obviously he was having a bad day and was very affected by the Alzheimer's, but that didn't lessen the pain whatsoever. This was too much for Hermione and she ran out of the house; she just had to get away, go somewhere else. But where?

Seconds later she was knocking on the door of one Severus Snape. He opened the door with confusion written all over his face. "Hermione? What's going on?"

"I'm sorry. I just…I needed to get out of there and I knew you would understand and I realize you have no clue what I'm talking about and you probably don't want to know and I should just leave now and I'll-"

"Shhh…Hermione, calm down. You cannot possibly go anywhere in this state. Come in and tell me what happened."

He led Hermione into his living room and sat her down on the couch. She curled herself into the arm while Severus went into the kitchen and soon returned with a mug of tea for her. Then he sat facing her in the armchair across from her and looked at her expectantly. Hermione sat silently for a moment, taking a sip of tea and collecting herself. When she was calm enough to speak coherently, the whole story came pouring out of her. Severus sat silently throughout. As soon as she finished, Hermione broke down into tears. Severus unexpectedly walked over and sat down next to her. Hermione leaned over onto his shoulder and cried as he held her. As she cried softly, Severus told her about his experiences from when his grandmother had Alzheimer's. Hermione was touched that he would share something so personal with her and found his stories oddly comforting. His smooth chocolate voice washed over her, helping even more to calm her and soothe her nerves. She stayed for two more cups of tea and had an enjoyable and peaceful conversation with her former professor. Hermione looked over his bookshelves and was surprised to see just as many Muggle books as magical, which began a whole new topic about their favorite authors (many of which were shared by the two) which then somehow turned into a conversation about Hogwarts. The new term was about to start and Hermione wanted to know how Severus really felt about teaching. He was looking forward to this year, he told her. The last year, on Ministry orders, he had only been allowed to teach part-time. He was still a strict teacher, but no longer bullied his studentsor acted biased towards his Slytherins; with the war over, it was no longer necessary. As the afternoon wore on, Hermione learned more and more about Severus and saw a side of him she had never seen before, his true side. He was certainly sarcastic and still referred to students as "the dunderheads", but in a humorous and affectionate way.

Hermione wanted desperately to kiss this ne Severus Snape. However…

_Don't do it, Hermione. It's not worth the unavoidable pain,_ she told herself.

* * *

Sorry this took so long. I'll try to have chapter 6 up soon (it's already written, it just needs to be typed). Review please!


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Through the Eyes of the Potions Master

When he had received the first letter, Severus had almost not read it. Curiosity had gotten the better of him though, and he started to read it. While he could tell that it was Hermione Granger writing him (who else would be so determined to do the impossible that she would brave writing the hated Severus Snape?) he was surprised by her sarcasm and cheek. This in itself was intriguing enough to make him write back, although her project interested him a lot as well. As the weeks went by and the letters became more personal than anything else, Severus found himself eagerly awaiting each of her letters. Immediately, Garrett noticed Severus' anticipation and the difference in him. And in his natural blunt way, Garrett asked Severus, "So? Who's the lucky woman, Sev? You've so obviously fallen for someone."

Severus just stared at him, shocked. Was that how he felt towards Hermione? He certainly admired her…

All throughout their first meeting, Severus caught himself watching Hermione. She had definitely matured since the last time she had been in his classroom. Somehow she had managed to tame her previously bushy hair into a mass of curls. She wasn't a girl anymore, that was for sure. And her intelligence was astounding; while before she had been smart, she had only been book-smart (which led to her being an utter know-it-all). Now however, she was truly brilliant. Her ideas were entirely her own; no longer confined to the book, she had become a fully original thinker.

It appeared to Severus that Hermione didn't seem to judge him by his past at all. He had come to realize that while the members of the Order knew the conditions of Dumbledore's death and Severus' true loyalty, they still did not really trust him which could really put a damper on a conversation. Hermione, though, did not treat him any different than she did anyone else, didn't speak to him differently, didn't look at him differently. She had to be the most non-judgmental person Severus had ever met.

The next day Hermione came bursting into his house, clearly upset about something. After making sure she wasn't going to run away, Severus sat her down and quickly made her some tea. He calmly listened to her story, which was quite upsetting, and then held her as she broke down completely. As he held her, he realized that he was quietly telling her his own hard stories from when his grandmother had Alzheimer's. Somehow this seemed to calm her down and she soon was all cried out. Severus was rather surprised at himself; he had never thought himself able to comfort anyone. Admittedly, no one had ever come to him for comfort before.

Which brought another thought to him as he made them more tea. Why on earth would Hermione come to _him_ of all people? Yes, they were friends now, but he would still expect her to go straight to her best friend Ginny Weasley, whom she had known (and liked) for much longer. Severus wasn't usually the first person that came to mind when one was looking for comfort and he knew this; which only made Hermione's actions all the more confusing to him. He decided to let it rest though. Perhaps sometime in the future she would explain it to him.

For the rest of the afternoon Severus felt himself falling harder and harder for Hermione as they talked. Everything about her, he felt, was absolutely perfect. It was the most comfortable afternoon he had ever spent in someone else's company. And yet, at the same time, he felt tense, holding himself back from tucking that persistent curl that fell into her face back, refraining from placing his hand over hers or brushing his fingers against her lips as she smiled that perfect smile.

_Just be content with being her friend. It's not worth the risk of losing that friendship, too….Don't cause yourself the inevitable pain._

But damn he wanted to kiss her.

Severus wanted to have his say and I've never been able to say no to that man. Hope you like it!


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Perfect

The Saturday after Hermione had broken down in Severus' arms, the two were scheduled to have another day of testing at Hogwarts this time, since school had begun that week. Hermione had spent the days between wondering nervously over what he would say about her melt down and pondering why exactly she had gone straight to him from the scene at her grandparents' house. Yes, he had been the first person that came to her mind, but _why _was he? She figured it had to do with the fact that he understood exactly what she was going through and also, she had to admit, because of her feelings towards him.

Admitting that she had gone to Severus partly (okay, _mostly_) because of her feelings for him had her questioning just how strong those feelings were. When she sat herself down and really thought about it, being completely honest with herself, Hermione knew she had fallen pretty hard. Probably harder than was wise. For all she knew, Severus still considered her an insufferable know-it-all.

_But that definitely is not true, _Hermione thought. _He wouldn't have agreed to help me if that were true. And he wouldn't have stopped me from leaving his house when I totally intruded his privacy on Sunday. Which, now that I think about it, was a little odd. I would not have expected him to be very forgiving of an intrusion on his privacy. Hmmm… No, Hermone, don't even start thinking that there's a chance of him being interested in you at all. Though, reading his letters (again), it almost looks like he could have been flirting with me…just a little… Give it up, girl, there is no way…_

Back at Hogwarts, Severus paced, unable to concentrate on anything but Hermione. Over the past week he had managed to keep himself busy with grading papers, research, and a couple detentions, but today nothing had been able to take his mind off of her impending arrival. He had woken up early, unable to sleep, and had tried reading (though he never made it past the first paragraph), grading papers (until he realized he had already finished them all), patrolling the hallways (but it was three o'clock in the morning, so even the worst troublemakers were in bed), and going back to sleep (but he'd been up too long, had done too much, and was much too awake now) before finally giving up and allowing himself to think about Hermione while pacing his quarters.

_I promised myself that since the war is over and I can finally be honest with everyone I will be. And that includes me. So…what are my honest feelings for Hermione Granger?_

Severus paused in his pacing and his determined expression intensified as he searched himself for the answer. After several long moments, he sank into his armchair.

_Very well. I like her very much, I…care for her. Perhaps too much._

_Face it, she would never return my feelings. I am a former Death Eater (the reasons for which do not matter), her former teacher, I was never kind to her or her friends as her professor, and I was in Slytherin (which, for some odd reason, always seems to matter to people, especially Gryffindors). And I'm too old for her. Besides, I'm not __good__ enough for her. I have killed and tortured too many people; there is too much guilt in my life, in me._

Severus snorted scathingly.

_Hell, I could recite in my sleep (and too often I do) every person I have murdered or tortured or failed to save form that same fate. Plus the date and time of each crime._

_How could she ever live with me knowing I was a Death Eater and the things I had to have done?_

_Indeed, there is no way Hermione would ever return my interest. So I must content myself with her friendship. And do my best not to chase __this__ friend away, too._

Almost as soon as he had made up his mind, there was a knock at the door. Severus quickly composed himself and went to let Hermione in.

Hermione felt almost nervous as she entered the castle grounds. Walking through the familiar halls she couldn't help but wonder idly if at Hogwarts Severus would be more of the professor she knew in school. The thought fled her mind as she approached the door to Severus' quarters. All of a sudden she felt like she was in school again and an unreasonable anxiety filled her as she faced Professor Snape's quarters. Hermione sternly told herself not to be silly-it was no different from going to his house-and knocked.

Severus opened the door with a somewhat guarded expression. That, along with his black teaching robes, made Hermione wonder again if he would be more like the professor who had taught her for six years or the man she had gotten to know over the summer. But when she smiled brightly at him, his expression relaxed and he offered up a smile of his own in return.

Severus led her through his quarters to his private lab, watching her changing expressions along the way. Her bright smile had surprised him (since when had anyone been truly happy to see him?) and her ill-concealed surprise at his accommodations was rather amusing.

_No doubt she was expecting less color, something more dungeon-like._

Severus shrugged off his robe and deposited it on a hook on the wall, exposing his plain- but fitted- white button-down shirt and black pants. He led her to a sturdy-looking door in the back of the room that led to his lab. As he showed her around the lab, Hermione had to force herself to focus on the words he was saying, not just the sound of his voice or the slight gestures of his elegant hands as he talked. She could only hope that she wouldn't be too distracted while they worked.

Once they began the day's experiments, both became completely immersed in the work and were able to forget all their anxieties for the moment. They worked well together, always anticipating the other's actions. They were so deeply absorbed in the work that both entirely forgot about lunch and worked straight through the day. Not long before dinner, they believed that they had finally found the perfect base for the potion, using a combination of different techniques, various charms, and all of their previous findings. As Hermione added the last ingredient with Severus looking on right behind her, they both held their breath in anticipation. The potion turned a deep midnight blue and sparks flew off the surface, exactly as they had predicted. Seized by happiness and not even thinking about what she was doing, Hermione turned around and pulled Severus in for a sound kiss. She quickly jumped back and bent her head to stare at the floor, shocked and slightly scared of what Severus' reaction might be. While he was shocked, he was not at all angry and he soon relaxed and smiled shyly at her. He raise his hand and tipped her head up to look her in the face.

"I do hope you don't regret that," he said softly.

"No," she whispered. "I don't."

"Good."

And he pulled her close to kiss her again.


	8. Chapter 8

Hermione left the castle in a state of ecstasy that evening. She and Severus had bottled their perfect base (after their perfect kiss) in a contented silence, both with smiles on their faces. As Severus walked her to the castle gates they seemed to discuss everything and nothing at once, walking slowly to prolong their time. When they reached the gate, Severus asked her almost nervously to dinner the next night. Hermione readily accepted.

"I will be at my grandparents' house, though," she told him.

"That is not a problem. Give me the address and I'll pick you up at seven."

Hermione was expected at the Burrow for dinner that evening. Ginny had basically ordered her to come as soon as Hermione told her where she was going. The moment Hermione stepped through the door she was attacked by the redheaded fireball that was Ginny.

"So? Oh my goodness! Something happened, I know something did, I can tell by your face! Now spill!"

"Well… we found the right base of the potion."

"Oh, please! That is _so _not what I'm talking about and you know it!"

Hermione glanced around to make sure no one was near then whispered, "I kissed him."

"_No way!_ What did he say?"

Hermione began to tell Ginny what had happened, but was interrupted as Mrs. Weasley noticed her arrival and welcomed her in with a signature Mrs. Weasley hug. She was then bombarded with questions about her health ("You look too thin, dear, are you sure you're eating enough?"), about her parents ("You absolutely must have them over, Arthur would love to talk with them more."), and everything else in between. All throughout dinner, Ginny repeatedly threw her pointed looks that Hermione did her best to ignore, trying not to draw too much attention to the issue. The moment everyone had finished eating, Ginny practically dragged Hermione from the room as she called a quick "Thank you for dinner, Mrs. Weasley!" behind them. Ginny slammed her bedroom door behind them and pounced. "_What happened?!_"

Hermione proceeded to explain what had happened as quickly as she could without leaving important details out. Ginny was almost rolling on the floor with glee by the time she finished.

"I am so happy for you! You two – I never thought I would say this in any relation to Snape, but you two are so perfect for each other!"

"Do you really think so? I mean, you aren't just saying that, are you?"

"Are you kidding me?! Of course I really mean it! You're both intelligent, brave people who love to read and study more than you like to go, I don't know, play Quidditch or something like that. Honestly, if you think about it, the two of you are pretty similar. Especially now that he's not playing the Death Eater part anymore."

Hermione smiled brightly, glad that someone else saw what she did, but then her smile dimmed as she said, "I just hope other people can see that, too. Like Harry and Ron… I am a little worried about what they're going to say."

"If they really are your friends, they will understand. Just don't put off telling them or they'll feel put out that you never told them. Don't keep this a secret from them. Okay?"

"I won't. I think I'll tell them today before I leave. I just don't know how to bring something like this up, you know?"

"Yeah, I know what you mean… We'll figure it out, don't worry."

Hermione and Ginny spent most of the rest of the afternoon discussing Severus and Hermione's budding relationship with him. Finally, Harry and Ron came in from playing Quidditch and barged in, wanting to know what they had been doing the whole time. The two girls giggled and Ginny told them, "Hermione's going out with someone tonight."

Harry and Ron were surprised to say the least.

"Who is he? Do we know him?"

Hermione blushed and responded, "Well, you know who he is, but you don't really know him. He's quite different from when you knew him…"

"Well, who is he already?" Harry asked her impatiently.

"Um… Severus Snape. I've been working with him all summer on a cure for Alzheimer's and I really got to know him and now, well… I really like him. A lot."

Harry and Ron just stood there for a while, looking absolutely shocked. Finally Harry said haltingly, "Well… I guess… As long as you're really sure about him… and he… he isn't mean to you or anything… If he hurts you, I'll kill him. But… If he makes you happy, then I wish you well."

"Harry, you have no idea how much that means to me. Thank you. And of course he isn't mean to me, you don't think I'd be with him otherwise do you?"

"Of course not. But, um… I want to meet him. I mean, if he's so different now, I want to thank him for everything he's done and really be able to meet him. Not who he was. Does that make any sense?"

"Yes, Harry, it – "

"I do, too," Ron interrupted. "I want to meet him. If you're happy with him, then I'm happy for you. Both of you."

Hermione was so pleased by the two boys' maturity, she thought she was going to cry. She told them she would talk to Severus that evening and then said her goodbyes so that she could go to her grandparents' house to visit her grandfather.

I know it's been a really long time since I updated and I am so sorry. Hopefully I will be back on track now to finish the story. Next chapter will be the first date


	9. Chapter 9

After a long, but luckily uneventful trip to see her grandfather, who was about to be moved to a nursing home, Hermione was looking forward to spending the evening with Severus. Her grandmother had immediately noticed something different when Hermione walked in the door.

"Well, you're all dressed up for something. Who's the lucky guy?" her grandmother asked almost as soon as she walked in the door.

Hermione blushed and told her grandmother all about Severus and how their relationship was beginning. The rest of the time, Hermione played card games with her grandfather while her grandmother asked her a question or two about Severus every once in a while. Hermione was anxious to begin her date that evening, but even so, she couldn't help but be endlessly amused by her grandfather's amazement every time she shuffled the cards. No matter how many times she had to shuffle the deck, he gasped and stared at her hands and the amazing things they could do with the card deck – in other words, it was like he had never seen a deck of cards be shuffled before and his short-term memory was so far gone, he couldn't remember seeing it from one time to the next. Finally, at 7 o'clock exactly, Hermione heard the doorbell. She shot out of her chair and down the hall to let Severus in. As soon as Hermione opened the door, Severus' face brightened into that half smile she loved so much as he asked, "Are you ready to go?"

"Yes, just let me say goodbye to my grandparents," she replied. "Would you like to come meet them?"

"Of course, if that's alright."

She assured him they would be pleased to meet him and led him back to where her grandparents were still sitting. She introduced him and her grandfather immediately started telling Severus about the house and how he had built it himself. Severus smiled patiently and congratulated him before leading Hermione out the front. Hermione had assumed that they would be Apparating to wherever they were going, so she was shocked to see a sleek black car sitting outside her grandparents' house.

"Is that yours? It's beautiful!"

Severus chuckled softly and said, "Yes, it's mine. I like driving. It's rather… fun."

"That is a really nice car just for fun."

"I like to drive fast."

Before long, they appeared to have reached their final destination. The building Severus had pulled up in front of looked like a large, three-story, old brick house with a couple stained glass windows in the front. Severus led Hermione up the steps and when they entered, she saw that it was an old house that had been turned into a bookstore.

"Each room is a different genre or age group and on the third floor they sell used books. The old dining room is a coffee shop now," Severus murmured into her ear. The sound of his voice and the feel of his mouth so close to her ear as he bent over towards her sent a shiver down Hermione's spine.

Hermione looked around was amazed at the beauty of the building and the amount of books within it. There were shelves covering every inch of the walls and set into coffee tables that were placed among the comfortable chairs and couches scattered around each room. The lights were dim and the colors muted and Hermione felt right at home. They made their way back to the coffee shop where the owner would make coffee and tea and bake in the kitchen and bring out the order to the dining room. It seemed to Hermione that Severus was a regular here since the owner knew his order already and asked her what she would have. She ordered her coffee and as they waited, Severus and Hermione began comfortably talking and joking about anything and everything. The more they talked, the more Hermione found herself admiring Severus' quick wit and sarcasm – as well as the elegance of his hands, the almost noble way he held himself, and that wonderful half smile that seemed to melt her from the inside out.

Severus and Hermione browsed the entire house until it closed, thoroughly enjoying each other's company. As the time passed, the two unknowingly stood closer and closer to each other until, just before they left, there was almost no space between them at all. Neither seemed to notice just how close they were standing to each other until they both reached for the same book and ended up face to face. Severus gently moved his hand from where it was still outstretched towards the shelf to slowly brush against Hermione's cheek. His dark eyes seemed endless as they stared into Hermione's. The sound of dishes clattering in the kitchen brought them both out of their trance. They slowly looked around and noticed that the store was closing.

Severus drove Hermione back to her apartment. The couple talked quietly on the way there, but there seemed to be a growing tension that Hermione rather enjoyed. Severus walked her up to her apartment, still finishing their conversation. At her door, they both stopped and the tension that had been building all night snapped. Hermione never really found out who moved first, him or her, but the next thing she knew they were kissing each other like the world was ending. After some time (minutes, hours, days, who knew?) they pulled apart and Severus leaned his forehead against hers.

"I should go," he murmured after a pause. "'I will see you tomorrow."

Hermione gave him one last kiss and watched him leave. Then she let herself into her apartment and leaned back against the door, pressed her fingers to her lips and smiled.

* * *

So, I'm not really sure where I'm going with this story. I will probably include Harry and Ron meeting Severus in the next chapter, but after that… Let me know if there is anything you guys want to see


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